Removable sash window construction



Oct. 29, 1963 F. c. OSTEN, sR 3,103,335

REMOVABLE SASH wmnow CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 29, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. FREO C. 0572' 58,

By @W? 5 Arne/12 Oct. 29, 1963 F. c. OSTEN, SR

REMOVABLE SASH WINDOW CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV- 29. 1960 INVENTOR. F1250 C. 0575 .98,

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,108,335 REMOVABLE SASH WENDOW CONSTRUCTION Fred C. Osten, Sr., 145% Abington Road, Detroit 27, Mich. Filed Nov. 29, 1266, Ser. No. 72,475 12 Qiairns. (Cl. 20-42) This invention relates to removable sash windows and, in particular, to such windows equipped with automatically-locking spring sash balances.

One object of this invention is to provide a removable sash window which is pivotally mounted on the verticallyslidable element of the sash balance and connected therewith in such a manner as to lock that element to the sash guide in response to tilting of the sash for cleaning or other treatment in its tilted position or for outright removal from the window, and thus to temporarily inactivate the sash balance while retaining its movable element in its attained position.

Another object is to provide a removable sash window of the foregoing character wherein the pivot member engaging the notched lower rail of the window sash has a rotary gripping portion engageable with the sash guide for locking the movable element of the sash balance to the sash guide in response to rotation of the pivot member consequent to tilting of the window sash for cleaning or other treatment in its tilted position or for outright removal of the window sash from the window frame.

Another object is to provide a remoable sash window of the foregoing character wherein the pivot member has a flattened portion engageable with the notch in the bottom sash rail for turning the pivot member in response to the tilting of the window sash preparatory to cleaning or other treatment in its tilted position or for outrig t removal thereof from the window frame.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent during the course of the following description of the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of a removable doublehung sash window installation according to one form of the invention, looking at the room side or interior of the window;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-section taken along the line 2-2 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken along the line 3-3 in FIGURE 1, with the midportion of the window installation omitted to conserve space, and showing in solid lines the position of the sash in its normal plane and in dotted lines the position of the sash tilted and ready for cleaning or other treatment or for outright removal;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary vertical section taken along the line 44 in FIGURE 2, showing the positions of the parts with the sash balance in its unlocked position permitting free action of the balancing spring;

FIGURE 5 is a right-hand side elevation of the sash balance of FIGURE 4, removed from the sash guide; and

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 4, but with the sash so tilted for removal as to rotate the pivot element into its sash-balancing position.

Referring to the drawings in detail, FIGURES 1 to 3 inclusive show a tiltable and optionally remoavble automatically-locking balanced sliding sash window installation, generally designated 10, according to one form of the invention. The window installation 10 in turn consists generally of a window frame 12 having mounted on its opposite vertical side members 14 two resilientlymounted spring-balanced vertical sash guide units 16 yieldingly engaging lower and upper sliding sash units 18 and 20 respectively. The upper sash unit 20 is shown in FIGURE 2 although strictly not within the scope of the section line 2-2 in order to more clearly illustrate 3,l@8,335 Patented Oct. 29, 1963 the invention, as if the upper sash unit 20 were pulled down into its lowermost position aligned with the lower sash unit 18.

Each sash unit 18 or 20 is provided with side rails 22, a bottom rail 24 and a top rail 26, the window pane 28 being mounted in the open center of the sash frame 34) formed thereby.- Each vertical sash rail 22 is provided with a central rib 32 flanked on either side by flat lands 34 for the purpose of slidably fitting and engaging the correspondingly-shaped channels 36 in each sash guide 38 of each sash guide unit 16. Each sash guide 38 between the two channel portions 36 has a central portion 40 provided with a plurality of vertically-spaced conical countersunk screw-retaining portions 42 for rotatably retaining adjusting screws 44 threaded into nuts 46 which also serve as movable spring abutments for the forward ends of sash guide mounting springs 48, the rearward ends of which are seated on boxes or casings 50 mounted in recesses 52 in the vertical window frame members 14 and secured thereto, the casings 50 being flanged at their forward ends to retain the nuts 46.

Also included in each sash guide 38 outwardly of the central portion 40 are two balancing spring housing or casing portions 54 (FIGURE 2) of two spring sash balance units 55 and outwardly of these a pair of flanged edge portions 56 engaged by the forward ends of mounting springs 58, the rearward ends of which are seated in recesses 60 in the vertical window frame side members 14. The balancing housing or casing portions 54 of each sash guide 38 are disposed opposite the sash guide channels 36 receiving the rib portions 32 of the vertical sash rails 22 and have vertical slots 62 aligned therewith and extending vertically so as to form laterally-spaced front wall portions or entrance flanges 64 on opposite sides of each slot 62.

Mounted within each sash balancing spring housing portion 54 of the sash guide 38 is an elongated helical sash-balancing spring 66, the upper end (not shown) of which is anchored by being hooked over the upper end of the sash guide 38. The lower end of each sash balancing spring 66 is looped around a pivot pin 68 (FIG- URES 4 and 5) within a slot or notch '70 in the upper end of a slide block or lock carrier 72 which loosely but slidably fits the interior of each housing or casing portion 54 and is drilled to receive the opposite ends of the pivot pin 68 on opposite sides of the slot 7 0.

Each slide block 72 is bored horizontally at 74 and counterbored at 76 (FIGURES 4 and 5) to receive the shank 78 and an integral gripping flange or collar 88 of a rotary sash-balance-locking pivot member, generally designated 82. The shank portion 78 of each pivot member 82 has an integral neck portion 84 which projects through the slot 62 between the front wall portions 64 of the sash balancing spring housing 54 with the axis of rotation of the pivot member 82 disposed substantially perpendicular to the wall portions 64. On its outer end the pivot member 82 carries a transversely-elongated integral head or coupling portion 86 with flat parallel opposite sides 88 and arcuate upper and lower surfaces 90. Each gripping flange or cam collar is provided on its outer side with a pair of diametrically-opposite gripping humps or high cam portions 92 facing the rearward surfaces 94 of the heads 86 at the neck portion 84 of the shank 78. Between the two gripping humps 92 are low or valley cam portions 96. The relative dimensions are such that the separation of the valley or low portions 84 from the rear surface 94 of each head 86 is slightly greater than the thickness of the front wall portions 64 on opposite sides of the slot 62 in each sash balancing spring housing 54, whereas the distance between the hump portion 92 and the same rear surface 94 (FIGURE 6) is slightly less than that thickness, in order to grip the front wall portions 64 with a locking grip when the pivot members 82 are rotated from the unlocked position of FIG- URE 4 to the locked position of FIGURE 6. I have found that making the separation of the crest of each hump 92 from its opposite surface 94 approximately .005 of an inch narrower than the thicknesses of the front wall portions or entrance flanges 64 on opposite sides of each slot 62 gives satisfactory locking action. The slide blocks 72 and their pivot members 82 are made from any suitable material, the synthetic polyamide plastic material known commercially as nylon, having been found satisfactory for this purpose.

The opposite ends of the bottom sash rails 24 are provided at their lower corners with parallel-walled vertically-elongated notches or recesses 98 fixedly yet loosely and slidably and removably receiving the elongated pivot member heads 86 of the pivot members 82. The word fixedly as used herein means fixed against relative rotation between the heads 86 and notches 98 by providing a clutching or driving connection therebetween. The notches 98 are shown, for simplification of illustration, as formed directly in the bottom rails 24 of the sash frames 30. In actual practice, however, a wear insert (not shown) of harder and tougher material is seated in each of the lower corners of the bottom sash rails 24 and contains the notch 98. Such inserts in practice have been made from metal and also from synthetic plastic material.

In the installation of the sash units 13 and 20, with the window closed, the upper rail 26 of the upper sash unit engages the top frame member 190 of the window frame 12 (FIGURE 3) while the bottom rail 24 of the lower sash unit 18 engages the usual inclined sill 192 which at its upper end is notched into the stool 10 below which is the apron 166. The vertical side members 14 engage the top member 195 and sill 102 at their upper and lower ends respectively.

In the operation of the invention, let it be assumed that the upper and lower sash units 20 and 18 are in their normal positions shown in FIGURES l and 3, with the planes of their window panes 28 disposed in parallel vertical positions. Let it be assumed that the balancing springs 66, only one of which is shown in FIGURE 3 and only the two on one side in FIGURE 2, are under tension resulting from their being stretched by the downward motion of the sash units 18 and 20 so as to counterbalance the weight thereof. Let it now be assumed that the user desires to remove the lower sash unit 18 for cleaning its window pane 28 or for other purposes.

To tilt and simultaneously lock in their attained positions the sash balance units 55 of the lower sash unit 18, the user grasps its top rail 26 while pushing sidewise to the left (FIGURE 2) on its left-hand side rail 22 so as to compress the sash guide springs 53, at the same time swinging the top rail 26 of the sash unit 18 inwardly toward himself, so that the sash unit 18 is tilted as it pivots on a horizontal axis around the pivot members 82. The latter, because of the elongated cross-section of their heads 36 (FIGURE are consequently rotated relatively to the bores 74 in the slide blocks 72, by the action of the opposite sides of notches 98 against the opposite sides of the pivot member heads 86 (FIGURE 3) preventing relative rotation therebetween. As a result, the sash unit 18 comes to rest in the inclined position shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 3, while the consequent rotation of the sash-balance-locking pivot member 82 and its gripping flange or collar 35 by the engagement of the notches 98 with the flattened heads 86 causes the humps 92 thereon to swing from their inactive positions within the balancing spring housing slots 62 as shown in FIGURES 2 and 4, into engagement with the inside surfaces of the entrance flanges or front wall portions 64, as shown in FIGURE 6. This action thrusts the slide blocks or lock carriers 72 realwardly into frictional locking engagement with the rear walls of their respective casing portions 54- (FIGURE 6), at the same time pulling the inner surfaces 94 of the heads 86 into frictional gripping engagement with the outer surfaces of the entrance flanges 64 of the casing portions 54 as a result of the camming action thus brought about. As a result, the tight frictional grip of each pivot member 82 against the entrance flanges 64 of its respective casing portion 54-, and of each slide block or lock carrier 72 against the rear wall thereof locks the slide blocks 72 in their attained positions within their respective sash balance housings 54, maintaining the balancing springs 66 in their tensioned conditions. For these reasons, it is evident that locking of the slide blocks or lock carriers 72 within their casing portions 54 thus occurs regardless of whether or not the rear surfaces )4 of the heads 86 engage the entrance flanges 64 thereof. The user is then free to pull the upper sash rail 26 toward himself and thereby tilt the sash unit 18 to clean or otherwise treat it in its tilted position or to remove it outright by separating it from its pivotal mounting upon the pivot members 82 by sliding the corner notches 98 of its bottom rail 24 out of engagement with the flattened heads 86 of the locking pivot members 82.

To reinsert the sash unit 18 in the window frame 12 after removal for cleaning or other maintenance or repair, such as for replacing a broken window pane 28, the user reverses the foregoing procedure by holding the opposite side rails 22 in his right and left hands while he lines up the bottom rail corner notches 98 with the nowinclined heads 86 of the locking pivot members 82. He then slides the notches 98 of the bottom rail 24 downward upon and into engagement with the heads 86 (FIG- URE 3). The user then pushes the upper rail 26 of the sash unit 18 away from him until the sash unit 18 swings into its vertical position shown in solid lines in the window frame 12. This action rotates the flat-sided heads 86 and consequently rotates the pivot members 82, together with the gripping flanges or cam collars thereof, as a result swinging the cam humps 92 thereon into the balancing spring housing slots 62. This action releases the grip of the cam humps 2 and head surfaces 94 upon the entrance flanges 64 adjacent the slots 62, and at the same time releases the frictional grip of the slide blocks or lock carriers 72 upon the rear walls of their respective casing portions 54 thereby unlocking the slide blocks 72 so as to release them for free sliding action in response to the upward pull of the sash balancing springs 66 of the sash balance units 55.

What I claim is:

1. An automatically-locking resiliently-balanced tiltable window sash construction adapted to be installed in a window frame, said construction comprising a pair of elongated vertical sash guides adapted to be mounted on opposite sides of the window frame, at least one of said sash guides being adapted to be resiliently mounted on one side of the window frame, a sash unit movably mounted on said sash guides for vertical sliding motion relatively thereto, said sash unit having coupling-engaging portions thereon disposed adjacent said sash guides, each of said sash guides including a hollow sash balance casing portion with vertical walls, one of said walls having an elongated slot therein with flange-like elongated vertical wall portions disposed on opposite sides of said slot, a resilient sash-balancing member mounted within each said casing portion and having one end portion anchored thereto, a lock carrier slidably mounted in each said casing portion and connected to the opposite end portion of each said sash balancing member, a locking member rotatably mounted on each said lock carrier with its axis of rotation disposed substantially perpendicular to the slotted casing wall and movable into and out of locking engagement with one of said Walls of said casing portion, each locking member having a coupling portion projecting therefrom through its respective slot into one of said coupling-engaging portions of said sash unit, and means responsive to the rotation of said locking members by tilting of the sash unit relatively to the sash guides for rotating said locking members and consequently thrusting said lock carriers into locking engagement with their respective casing por-' tion walls.

2. A window sash construction, according to claim 1, wherein each locking member includes a gripping portion on each locking member swingable into gripping engagement with an adjacent wall of its respective casing portion in response to said tilting of said sash unit.

3. A window sash construction, according to claim 2, wherein each of said coupling portions includes a head fixedly engaging the coupling portion of its respective sash.

4. A window sash construction, according to claim 3, wherein the coupling portion comprises an elongated recess and wherein the head is of elongated cross-section fixedly engaging the recess.

5. A window sash construction, according to claim 4, wherein the recess comprises an open-ended notch in each outer corner of the sash and wherein each head of elongated cross-section fixedly engages its respective notch.

6. A window sash construction, according to claim 2, wherein the gripping portion comprises a hump swingable into gripping engagement with an adjacent wall of its respective casing portion.

7. A window sash construction, according to claim 1, wherein said means includes a head on said locking member and an enlargement thereon spaced away from said head by a separation slightly less than the thickness of said wall portions adjacent said slot, and said last-mentioned wall portions being disposed between said head and said enlargement.

8. An automatically-locking resiliently-balanced sash guide unit for tiltable sash windows, comprising an elongated sash guide including a hollow sash balance casing portion with vertical walls, one of said walls having an elongated slot extending longitudinally therealong with flange-like elongated vertical wall portions disposed on opposite sides of said slot, a resilient sash-balancing 6 member mounted within said casing portion and having one end portion anchored thereto, a lock carrier slidably mounted in said casing portion and connected to the op posite end portion of said sash balancing member, a locking member rotatably mounted on said lock carrier with its axis of rotation disposed substantially perpendicular to the slotted casing wall and movable into and out of locking engagement with one of said walls of said casing portion, said locking member having a coupling portion projecting therefrom through its respective slot, and means responsive to the rotation of said locking member for rotating said locking member and consequently thrusting said lock carrier into locking engagement with an adjacent wall of said casing portion.

9. A sash guide unit, according to claim 8, wherein each locking member includes a gripping portion swingable into gripping engagement with an adjacent wall of its respective casing portion in response to rotation of said locking member.

10. A sash guide unit, according to claim 9, wherein said coupling portion includes a head of elongated crosssection.

ll. A sash guide unit, according to claim 8, wherein the gripping portion comprises a hump swingable into gripping engagement with an adjacent wall of its respective casing portion.

12. A sash guide unit, according to claim 8, wherein said means includes a head on said locking member and an enlargement thereon spaced away from said head by a separation slightly less than the thickness of said wall portions adjacent said slot, said last-mentioned wall portions being disposed between said head and said enlargemerit.

References Qited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,791,795 Haas May 14, 1957 2,828,514 Nardulli Apr. 1, 1958 2,903,736 Osten Sept. 15, 1959 2,933,757 Almendinger Apr. 26, 1960 

1. AN AUTOMATICALLY-LOCKING RESILIENTLY-BALANCED TILTABLE WINDOW SASH CONSTRUCTION ADAPTED TO BE INSTALLED IN A WINDOW FRAME, SAID CONSTRUCTION COMPRISING A PAIR OF ELONGATED VERTICAL SASH GUIDES ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE WINDOW FRAME, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID SASH GUIDES BEING ADAPTED TO BE RESILIENTLY MOUNTED ON ONE SIDE OF THE WINDOW FRAME, A SASH UNIT MOVABLY MOUNTED ON SAID SASH GUIDES FOR VERTICAL SLIDING MOTION RELATIVELY THERETO, SAID SASH UNIT HAVING COUPLING-ENGAGING PORTIONS THEREON DISPOSED ADJACENT SAID SASH GUIDES, EACH OF SAID SASH GUIDES INCLUDING A HOLLOW SASH BALANCE CASING PORTION WITH VERTICAL WALLS, ONE OF SAID WALLS HAVING AN ELONGATED SLOT THEREIN WITH FLANGE-LIKE ELONGATED VERTICAL WALL PORTIONS DISPOSED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID SLOT, A RESILIENT SASH-BALANCING MEMBER MOUNTED WITHIN EACH SAID CASING PORTION AND HAVING ONE END PORTION ANCHORED THERETO, A LOCK CARRIER SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN EACH SAID CASING PORTION AND CONNECTED TO THE OPPOSITE END PORTION OF EACH SAID SASH BALANCING MEMBER, A LOCKING MEMBER ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON EACH SAID LOCK CARRIER WITH ITS AXIS OF ROTATION DISPOSED SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE SLOTTED CASING WALL AND MOVABLE INTO AND OUT OF LOCKING ENGAGEMENT WITH ONE OF SAID WALLS OF SAID CASING PORTION, EACH LOCKING MEMBER HAVING A COUPLING PORTION PROJECTING THEREFROM THROUGH ITS RESPECTIVE SLOT INTO ONE OF SAID COUPLING-ENGAGING PORTIONS OF SAID SASH UNIT, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE ROTATION OF SAID LOCKING MEMBERS BY TILTING OF THE SASH UNIT RELATIVELY TO THE SASH GUIDES FOR TOTATING SAID LOCKING MEMBERS AND CONSEQUENTLY THRUSTING SAID LOCK CARRIERS INTO LOCKING ENGAGEMENT WITH THEIR RESPECTIVE CASING PORTION WALLS. 